The NHL community is in mourning, as it was announced that former forward Chris Simon tragically took his own life at the age of 52. One of the most feared enforcers of his era, Simon was suspected to be suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) at the time of his passing, a condition that can only be diagnosed postmortem. Like Simon, CTE was found in the brains of former enforcers Wade Belak, Rick Rypien, Todd Ewen, Derek Boogaard, Steve Montador, Gino Odjick, and Bob Probert after their untimely deaths. The danger that came with their violent responsibilities on the ice made them prone to prolonged periods of depression, anxiety, debilitating physical pain, and substance abuse, which were only compounded by the degenerative nature of CTE.
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Simon was a tour de force with the Ottawa 67’s in the OHL, putting up 74 points (36 goals, 38 assists) and a staggering 146 penalty minutes in only 57 games in 1990. The Philadelphia Flyers took notice, drafting Simon 25th overall in the second round of that year’s draft. He would break into the NHL in 1992 with the Quebec Nordiques, as the Flyers included him in the notorious Eric Lindros trade. Simon would stay with the franchise as they relocated to Colorado to become the Avalanche and featured on their 1996 Stanley Cup Championship team. While another Cup proved elusive, he would also make Finals appearances with the Washington Capitals in 1998 and the Calgary Flames in 2004, where he was a teammate of Montador.
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Simon also spent time with the Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, New York Islanders, and Minnesota Wild over the course of his 15 season NHL career. A constant fixture in the penalty box, Simon racked up 1,824 penalty minutes in 782 regular season games, and an additional 191 penalty minutes in 75 playoff games. He always answered the bell and never hesitated to stand up for his teammates. While Simon’s violent nature on the ice led to eight suspensions for a total of 65 games in his NHL career, his Ojibwa heritage made him a role model to the Canadian indigenous community, who often struggled to be accepted in hockey culture.
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